Device for inserting transport anchors in forms for concrete parts

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for inserting transport anchors into a form for concrete parts comprises a magazine for feeding the anchors, and a gripper for removing anchors from the magazine and inserting the removed anchors into the form. The magazine orients a target anchor vertically, and jaws of the gripper close upon an end of the target anchor. The gripper is then rotated ninety degrees about a horizontal axis whereby the target anchor is removed from the magazine and reoriented to a horizontal position pointing toward the form. The gripper is then advanced transversely of the axis of insert the anchor into the form.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus for the insertion of transport anchors, comprising an anchorshaft with a broadened anchor head and a broadened anchor foot, intoforms for concrete parts, with an anchor magazine containing severaltransport anchors and an insertion gripper displaceable by means of agripper advance device comprising two folding gripper jaws, which seizethe anchor head and hold it in the casting form, while the anchormagazine is provide with guide rails guiding the transport anchorsgripped immediately behind the anchor foot on both sides of the anchorshaft.

Transport anchors are inserted in concrete parts, in particular finishedconcrete parts, during their production, in order to facilitate theirmounting on lifting tools for transportation and installation. Thetransport anchors, which are usually equipped with an anchor head, areinserted prior to the pouring of the concrete parts in the form, so thata recess remains on the surface of the concrete parts into which theanchor head protrudes. For this, the forms for the production of theconcrete parts have openings, into which a gripper holding a transportanchor is introduced. The gripper, which for example consists of twogripper jaws in the shape of a calotte shell, simultaneously forms therecess into which the anchor head protrudes.

In order to automate the insertion process, an apparatus of theaforementioned generic type is known (WO 85/04360), in which thetransport anchors are held available in an anchor magazine. Always thelowest transport anchor is ejected by an ejector device transversely toits longitudinal axis from the anchor magazine and moved into the motionpath of the gripper, which here is displaceable longitudinally only. Thegripper seizes the anchor head and pushes the transport anchor into theopening of the form, where it is held until the concrete part isfinished.

This known apparatus has a relatively complex configuration and istherefore heavy. Considerable space is required as on the one hand theanchor magazine must be located closely adjacent to the transferlocation to the insertion gripper, so that the path of the ejectordevice is not excessively long, and on the other, the insertion grippermust be moved from said transfer position in a straight line into theform. This requires a relatively long advance of the insertion gripper.

It is therefore the object of the invention to design an apparatus ofthe above-mentioned generic type so that it will have a significantlysimpler configuration and be lighter, and that its space requirementswill be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is attained according to the invention by that the insertiongripper may be pivoted around a pivot axle extending transversely to itslongitudinal axis, between a removal position in which the longitudinalaxis of the insertion gripper is aligned with the axis of the transportanchor to be taken from the anchor magazine, and an insertion position,by mans of a pivot drive device.

As the insertion gripper takes the transport anchor directly from theanchor magazine, the ejector device is completely eliminated, wherebythe configuration of the apparatus is significantly simplified. Sincethe insertion gripper performs a pivoting motion between the removal ofa transport anchor from the magazine and the insertion into the form,the anchor magazine may be located in a space saving manner adjacent tothe insertion gripper, the anchor magazine does not interfere in theinsertion area, so that the insertion gripper is required to carry out arelatively short moving stroke, as the form may be placed directly infront of the insertion gripper. This makes possible a highly spacesaving configuration of the entire apparatus.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pivoting driveis supported fixedly on a frame and carries the gripper advance device.This causes no design problems, as the gripper advance device is laidout for a short gripper stroke only and is therefore simple and light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention will become more apparent from an example of embodimentwith reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a device for the insertion of transport anchors in avertical section and after the device has removed a transport anchorfrom a magazine and has been rotated 90° about a horizontal axis from aremoval position to an insertion position;

FIG. 2 a section through the line II--II in FIG. 1 when the device isstill in the removal position and is in the process of removing atransport anchor from the magazine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The device 1 shown in the drawing is intended to insert the transportanchor 2 into a from 3 of a pouring mold for concrete parts 4, inparticular concrete pipes. The transport anchors 2 in the shape of plateanchors, comprise a cylindrical elongated anchor shaft 5. At one end ofthe anchor shaft 5 a plate shaped anchor foot 6 is located and on theopposite end a short, essentially cylindrical anchor head 7, alsobroadened relative to the anchor shaft 5.

The transport anchors to be inserted into the concrete part 4 are keptavailable in an anchor magazine 8. The anchor magazine has two parallel,spaced apart guide rials 9, which form a downward inclined path for thetransport anchors 2 suspended in the magazine 8 with the anchor head 7down. The free distance between the guide rails 9 is chosen so that theshaft 5 of the transport anchor 2 is taken up between them with acertain clearance. The guide rails 9 therefore guide the transportanchor 2 immediately after i.e., beneath, the anchor foot 6 on bothsides of the anchor shaft 5.

At the lower removal end 10 the guide rails 9 form a removal opening 11open toward the form 3, but blocked by a stop bolt 12 extendingtransversely relative to the guide rails 9. The stop bolt 12 is a pinthat may be withdrawn by an activating element 13, for example a liftingmagnet or a pneumatic cylinder, in order to release the transport anchor2 located at the removal end 10.

In front of the removal end 10 of the anchor magazine 8 two inlet stopbolts 14 and 15 similar in shape to the stop bolt 12, are provided whichagain may be actuated in a controlled manner. The distance seperatingthe two inlet stop bolts 14 and 15 corresponds to the width of atransport anchor 2, so that always one anchor 2 may be taken up betweenthe inlet stop bolts 14 and 15, as shown in FIG. 1. By the alternatingactuation of the inlet stop bolts 14 and 15 and of the stop bolt 12, itis assured that always only one transport anchor 2 arrives from theanchor magazine 8 at the removal end 10 and may be removed from therefollowing the opening of the stop bolt 12 by means of an insertiongripper 16, which is described as follows.

The insertion gripper 16 is depicted in two different positions in FIGS.1 and 2. In FIG. 2, the insertion gripper 16 is in a removal position inwhich it is removing a transport anchor 2 from a magazine 8. Thereafter,the insertion gripper is rotated 90° about a horizontal axis 29 to aninsertion position depicted in FIG. 1, whereby the transport anchor 2becomes pointed toward the form 3.

The insertion gripper 16 has two gripper jaws 18 mounted pivotably on acommon axle 17. In surfaces 19 of the jaws which form a common partingplane when the jaws are closed recesses 20 are provided, which togetherform a cavity to receive the anchor head 7. The gripper jaws 18pivotingly located on the axle 17 are connected by means of a connectingrod 21 and a pivot 22a with a drive piston rod 22 of an actuationcylinder 23. If the drive piston rod 22 is withdrawn, the insertiongripper 16 is opened, as shown in FIG. 2. If the drive piston rod 22 isadvanced, the insertion gripper 16 closes (FIG. 1).

The insertion gripper 16 is located on a slide 24, which may bedisplaced on guides 25 of a gripper advance device 26 in a directionparallel to the longitudinal axis 27 of the insertion gripper 16. Thegripper advance device 26 is supported by a pivot drive device 28 andmay be pivoted around a horizontal pivot axle 29. As indicated in FIG.2, the pivot drive device 28 is mounted fixedly on a frame F.

In the removal position shown in FIG. 2 the insertion gripper 16 may beadvanced toward the anchor magazine 8 by means of the gripper advancedevice 26 and subsequently closed by actuating the cylinder 23, wherebythe jaws 18 close and grip the transport anchor 2 located at the removalend of the anchor magazine 8. Subsequently, the stop bolt 12 iswithdrawn and the removal opening 11 is released. From this removalposition, in which the longitudinal axis 27 of the insertion gripper isaligned with the longitudinal axis of the transport anchor 2 to be takenup, the insertion gripper 26 is pivoted by the pivot drive device 28 by90° in a direction R and moved into its insertion position shown inFIG. 1. There the insertion gripper 16 with the transport anchor 2 isadvanced in the direction of the gripper advance device until thetransport anchor 2 and the hemispherical front part of the insertiongripper 16 defined by front ends of the closed jaws are projectingthrough an opening 30 into the form 3. The transport anchor 2 will thusbecome embedded with the concrete part 4 shaped by the form 3 assimultaneously a hemispherical recess is formed in the part 4 around theanchor head 7.

By the actuation the cylinder 23 the insertion gripper is opened and byactuating the gripper advance device 26 it is withdrawn from the form.Subsequently, the insertion gripper 16 may again be pivoted upward toreceive the next transport anchor 2.

As the axle 17, around which the two gripper jaws 18 are pivoted, islocated in the pivot plane of the insertion gripper 16 pivoting aroundthe axle 29, the parting plane defined by the surfaces 19 of the closedjaws of the insertion gripper 16 coincides with the pivot plane. It istherefore possible to pivot the open insertion gripper 16 into theremoval position, when it is already in its advanced position.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for inserting transport anchors into forms forconcrete parts, comprising:an anchor magazine for containing a pluralityof transport anchors, said magazine including a removal section wherethe transport anchors are to be removed, and a gripper device mountedadjacent said magazine, comprising:a gripping portion rotatable about anaxis, said gripper portion including gripper jaws movable between anopen position for receiving an end of a transport anchor and a closedposition for gripping said end of a transport anchor, rotary drive meansfor rotating said gripper portion between a removal position in whichsaid jaws are positioned adjacent said removal section of said magazine,and an insertion position wherein a transport anchor removed from saidmagazine extends toward a form for concrete parts, and means forreciprocating said gripper portion in a direction transversely of saidaxis.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magazine includesa pair of spaced apart guide rails for carrying the transport anchorstherebetween, portions of said guide rails inclining downwardlyforwardly toward a removal opening defined by said removal section, saidopening lying within a plane in which said gripping portion rotates, aretractable stop element arranged to close said removal opening, andmeans for retracting said stop element to permit a transport anchor tobe removed through said removal opening.
 3. Apparatus according to claim2 including at least one additional retractable stop element disposedrearwardly of said first-named stop element for preventing transportanchors from moving to a space adjacent said removal opening until saidspace is vacant.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said atleast one additional retractable stop element comprises a plurality ofadditional retractable stop elements spaced apart in a direction oftravel of transport anchors within said magazine.
 5. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein said removal section of said magazine includes meansfor supporting transport anchors in a substantially vertical orientationin alignment with said jaws, said rotary drive means arranged to rotatesaid gripper device about a horizontal axis.
 6. Apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said gripper portion rotates within a plane, said jawsbeing pivotable toward and away from one another about a pivot axislying in said plane.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a forminto which the transport anchors are to be inserted, said magazinedefining a removal opening through which the transport anchors areremoved, said outlet opening being arranged such that the transportanchors being removed therethrough travel in a direction extendingtoward said form.